Case against Col in suicide caseNEW DELHI, Oct 4 — The suicide by a family of four, which shocked residents of Gurgaon, has taken a new turn with the area police registering a case against Lt-Col A.K. Jaggi and his wife Sadhna, for their alleged abetment in the incident.

‘Pay’ Rs 4 lakh to kin of encounter victims NEW DELHI, Oct 4 — The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Uttar Pradesh Government to pay a compensation of Rs 4 lakh each to the next of kin of victims killed in a fake encounter.

Poll for new Cong
chief on Nov 11NEW DELHI, Oct 4 — The schedule for the election of the Congress president has been revised by the Central Election Authority of the party which is overseeing the organisational elections.

Mishra, Sharma in
race for BookerNEW DELHI Oct 4 — Pankaj Mishra’s “The Romantics” and Indian-American Akhil Sharma’s ‘An Obedient Father’ are in the race for ‘Booker Prize 2000” nominations to be announced in London tomorrow.

Ticketless travel costs Magistrate her job MUMBAI, Oct 4 — A city Magistrate, who was found travelling in local trains without ticket on three occasions, has been compulsorily retired from judicial service by the Government of Maharashtra.

HC notice to Defence MinistryNEW DELHI, Oct 4 — The Delhi High Court has sought a reply from the Defence Ministry and the Chief of the Naval Staff as to how they had allowed two high rise buildings to come up in front of Mumbai’s Mobile Missile Coast Battery Complex (MMCBC) the obstructing its firing range despite objections raised by the Commanding Officer, INS Trata.

Pak supplying Stinger to ultrasNEW DELHI, Oct 4 — The Pakistan Army is supplying weapons like Stinger missiles and mortars, which are capable of firing long distances, to terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, indicating a shift in their tactics, defence sources said today.

Choosing death — the Jain wayBHOPAL, Oct 4 — Uttamchand Jain 72, gave up the life on Monday amidst the chanting of Jain mantras by monks and devotees at Bhaddalpur near Vidisha. His last rites were performed this morning in a manner fitting to a saint. There was a great rejoicing among the devotees who had assembled there in large numbers, reports received here said.

3 women killed in
wall collapseNEW DELHI, Oct 4 — Three women were killed when a wall built around a public toilet in the Trilokpuri area of East Delhi collapsed last evening.

NEW DELHI, Oct 4 — The UK has implemented a one-stop
appeal system to speed up the immigration appeals process.

Under the new system, which has come into effect from October 2, refused applicants, including unsuccessful asylum seekers, would be expected to state all grounds for appeal at the same time, rather than making further appeals as their case progresses. If they do not, they risk losing the opportunity for the additional facts to be considered by the Immigration Appellate Authority.

Other measures designed to make immigration procedures faster, fairer and firmer have also come into force. These include speeding up overstayers’ removal by introducing new powers making them subject to administrative removal rather than deportation; and strengthened powers to return asylum claimants to other EU countries under the Dublin Convention, or to certain other safe third countries.

According to a British High Commission release here, the administrative removal of overstayers brings the procedures into line with those for illegal entrants.

Unlike deportation, there is no right to appeal before removal other than on asylum and human rights grounds. Giving immigration officers the power to authorise removal will mean that people who overstay can be removed more quickly.

The British Government is also making a huge investment in restoring the integrity of the asylum system. Over the next four years it will invest an extra £ 2 billion on immigration and asylum.

The number of staff members is also being increased to make inroads into the backlog of outstanding applications and make faster decisions.

At present someone who loses an appeal against refusal of permission to stay in the UK longer cannot be removed until a deportation decision is made, and that gives them another right of appeal.

They can also make late applications—like an asylum application—which may give them further rights of appeal.

The new system would mean that when they first appeal they would have to state all grounds they have for staying in the country, and these reasons will be considered at that stage. The adjudicator will review all issues which are applicable at one hearing.

NEW DELHI, Oct 4 — The Centre has released Rs 1,820.25 crore as grants-in-aid towards security-related expenditure (SRE) in militancy-affected Jammu and Kashmir since 1990.

In the current financial year (2000-01), a sum of Rs 164.12 crore has been released as on date, a Home Ministry press note said here today.

The Rs 164.12 crore includes Rs 131.55 crore reimbursement of the SRE for the months of March-July this year, Rs 20.99 crore for ammunition for security forces, Rs 11.12 crore as SRE arrears for 1989-98 and Rs 46 lakh as direct payment for airlift charges.

Of the Rs 1,820.25 crore given in the past decade to combat terrorism, Rs 759.12 crore as additional expenditure on the police (like ration allowance, carriage of constabulary, material and supplies, rent and accommodation hired for security forces, air lift, vehicles, arms and ammunition, special police officers, etc.)

It also includes Rs 260.03 crore as ex gratia to persons affected by terrorism, Rs 198.88 crore for security work/expenditure in residences of employees working in the security zone, Rs 12.71 crore for welfare of terrorism-affected people like orphans and relief to persons affected by cross-border firing and Rs 46.75 crore as SRE arrears, the note said.

A total of Rs 172.61 crore has been paid towards election-related expenditure. The Centre has been reimbursing additonal security-related expenditure to the state since 1990-91 besides giving reimbursements for the conduct of Parliamentary/Assembly elections in the state.

NEW DELHI, Oct 4 — The suicide by a family of four, which shocked residents of Gurgaon, has taken a new turn with the area police registering a case against Lt-Col A.K. Jaggi and his wife Sadhna, for their alleged abetment in the incident.

The alleged role of the army official’s wife was indicated by the Additional Sessions Judge, Mr S.N. Dhingra, while granting bail to Mr Anil Mittar, a Delhi Cantonment councillor.

Mr Mittar had moved the bail application on the grounds that Ms Sadhna Jaggi had “falsely” accused him of attempting to rape her.

While granting bail to Mr Mittar, who was arrested on charge of attempted rape, the Judge observed that “the complainant (Ms Sadhna Jaggi) was a blackmailer and had earlier also indulged in blackmailing tactics and due to her a complete family of four persons wiped out itself and committed suicide, leaving behind a suicide note.”

The councillor was arrested on September 6 by the Delhi Police after a complaint was lodged by Ms Jaggi that he tried to rape her in his car.

The councillor has demanded a CBI inquiry into the allegation laid against him by Ms Jaggi.

The order further said, “The FIR is in respect of commission of suicide by four persons where a suicide note was recovered after their death. The note gives the details as to how the complainant (Ms Jaggi) blackmailed the family after developing friendship with them.”

The FIR (666) lodged at the Gurgaon police station said the bodies of the accused, Badri Narayan, his wife Sapna and their daughter Nirmala and son Lokesh were recovered from a tank in Gurgaon. A suicide note was recovered from one of the deceased’s possession. The note was signed by all deceased.

The suicide note said they were blackmailed by the Colonel and his wife. The Colonel was Major in 1998 when the incident took place.

The Colonel had to take Rs 12 lakh from Hoffland company. When he was not given the money he had stolen two cars of the company, changed their number plates and sold one of them. After stealing the cars he went to Badri’s residence in Gurgaon to stay there along with his family.

During their stay at Badri’s residence, the Colonel’s wife had started threatening him and his family members.

The Colonel had allegedly got signed the property of Badri on a stamp paper in the name of his family members.

The deceased in their suicide note said the stamp paper should not be taken as a legal document. It was signed forcibly.

The Colonel and his wife had allegedly threatened the deceased if the stamp paper was not signed he would get his family eliminated by “goondas”.

A fixed deposit receipt of Rs 25,000 was made in Hoffland company by the Colonel in the name of Badri’s daughter. The amount of the FD should be taken from the Colonel by the authorities concerned, Badri demanded in the suicide note.

The annual award, instituted by the Robert
F kennedy Memorial Centre for Human Rights, is given to individuals who, at great personal risk, stand up to oppression in the non-violent pursuit of respect for human rights, a release said. Mr
MacWan will be conferred the award in Washington on November 21.

The award, carrying a cash prize of $
30,000 (US), also brings a commitment from the memorial centre to work with the award winner to support his human rights activities.

Mr
MacWan (41) founded Navsarjan in 1989 to promote the rights of the Dalits in Gujarat. Strongly rooted in the grassroots, Navsarjan has presence in over 2,000 villages across the state.

NEW DELHI, Oct 4 — The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Uttar Pradesh Government to pay a compensation of Rs 4 lakh each to the next of kin of victims killed in a fake encounter.

Sources in the NHRC said that the matter was brought to the notice of the Commission by Mr Panna Lal Yadav. In a telegram to the Commission, Mr Yadav alleged that his son and three others had been killed in a fake encounter.

A report sought from the Superintendent of Police of the region stated that four criminals were killed in an encounter between the police and a gang of criminals in the area of Bhadoi police station on October 17, 1998.

The report further said that the police had acted on a secret information that one Dhananjay Singh, a dreaded criminal carrying a reward of Rs 50,000 on his head had planned a dacoity at a petrol station on the Bhadoi Mirzapur road. The police deployed three teams on the spot. Around 11.30 a m, they found three persons advancing towards the petrol station. On seeing the police, they fled and sought cover behind the bushes to fire at the police. The police returned fire and found that the four persons had died. One of the dead persons was identified as Dhananjay Singh while the complainant’s son was among the other three.

Not convinced by the version given in the SP’s report, the Commission directed its own investigation wing to look into the incident. After examining the report submitted by the Commission’s investigation wing, the Director- General (I), NHRC, Mr D.R. Karthikeyan, opined that it was a case of a fake encounter.

Another report sent by the SP in February, 1999, stated that a magisterial inquiry was being conducted under the orders of the District Magistrate of the area. The case had been entrusted to the State Crime Branch (CID) and pursuant to its investigations, a case had been registered against 36 accused persons, including 34 police officers.

Information gathered by the Crime Branch, CID, established that the encounter was fake and that four innocent persons had been killed by the police. It pointed to the involvement of a DSP, an Inspector, seven Sub-Inspectors and several police constables. Cases under the Arms Act registered against the four persons were also found to be false.

NEW DELHI Oct 4 (UNI) — Pankaj Mishra’s “The Romantics” and Indian-American Akhil Sharma’s ‘An Obedient Father’ are in the race for ‘Booker Prize 2000” nominations to be announced in London tomorrow.

Three previous winners — Michael Ondaatje for ‘Anil’s Ghost’, A.S. Byatt for ‘The Biographer’s Tale’ and Kazuo Ishiguro for “When We Were Orphans’ — are the frontrunners in the nomination race for the 21,000 pound literary award, judged this year by a five-member jury headed by writer-journalist Simon Jenkins.

Mishra’s ‘The Romantics’ which is set in Benares and full-time investment banker Sharma’s ‘An Obedient Father’ which talks about a turbulent New Delhi and Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination have won rave reviews in the west since their release early this year. Both are debut novels.

‘An Obedient Father’, whose title was found by his fiancee, who “went through Shakespeare with a highlighter’’, in King Lear stretches back to the partition and deals with corruption and communal violence in independent India.

AGRA, Oct 4 (UNI) — Russian President Vladimir Putin was today charmed by the ethereal beauty of the Taj Mahal.

“It is beautiful. It’s good,” Mr Putin said after his 50-minute stay at the monument this afternoon.

“I feel good. It’s nice to be here,” he said when asked about his impressions of the mausoleum. “The Russians are proud of having a friend like India, with a rich cultural heritage,” he wrote in the visitors’ book.

“India may and should be proud about its precious share of the world’s culture and we in Russia are proud of having such a friend,” he wrote.

Mr Putin, accompanied by his wife Lyudlima Putina, arrived at the Taj at 1435 hours. During his tour of the premises, he inquired about the inlay work and wanted to know why the black marble Taj which Shahjahan had planned was not built.

Mr Putin took a round of the monument and went down to the crypt which was specially opened for him today. He also wanted to know why Aurangazeb had imprisoned Shahjahan. Interpreter Ravi Sharma, who had been a guide at the Taj for 30 years, explained the details.

NEW DELHI, Oct 4 (PTI) — The Delhi High Court has sought a reply from the Defence Ministry and the Chief of the Naval Staff as to how they had allowed two high rise buildings to come up in front of Mumbai’s Mobile Missile Coast Battery Complex (MMCBC) the obstructing its firing range despite objections raised by the Commanding Officer, INS Trata.

Issuing notices to the ministry and the Chief of Naval Staff, a Division Bench comprising Justice Anil Dev Singh and Justice M.K. Sharma last week directed them to file affidavits by November 20, giving a detailed reply to the issues raised in a public interest litigation (PIL).

The PIL said allowing two high-rise buildings, 17 storeyed and six storeyed, in front of the MMCBC at Worli by the ministry and the naval authorities amounted to compromising with national security.

The MMCBC was established with a view to protecting the Mumbai harbour, especially the North-West Sector, from intrusion across the sea and was considered an operational as well as a tactical necessity to position the missile battery there.

“Keeping in view its strategic importance, the MMCBC is notified as prohibited area and nothing can be done or allowed to be done there which obstructs or interferes with carrying out the artillery practice by the Navy,” the PIL filed by advocate B.L. Wadhera said.

The petitioner claimed that the Commanding Officer of the INS Trata had raised serious objections over the approval given by the naval authorities to private parties for construction of the buildings.

The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) in a communication on July 24 had asked the Navy to review the matter and recommend whether the approval should be revoked.

The naval establishment at Mumbai did not intervene to revoke the approval granted by the MCGM to private parties for construction of the buildings despite the corporation seeking clearance and the Commanding Officer of the INS Tatra giving his strong opinion against it, the petition said.

“In spite of the objections and security sensitivity, the Headquarters of Western Naval Command accorded approval to the construction of a six-storeyed building at plot No-5 on Janaury 31, 1994 and for a 17 storeyed building on plot No-1 on Febraury 1, 1995,” it said.

The buildings not only obstructed the firing by the MMCBC to sea but also could become a centre for espionage because of its proximity to the sensitive area, the petitioner claimed, adding that a Defence Estate Office inspection team, which visited the area on May 5, 1997, had opined that any construction in the area by private parties would be a “security risk”.

NEW DELHI, Oct 4 (PTI) — The Pakistan Army is supplying weapons like Stinger missiles and mortars, which are capable of firing long distances, to terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, indicating a shift in their tactics, defence sources said today.

Recent seizures of 82 mm mortars, rocket launchers and grenade launchers made by security forces show that terrorists were finding it increasingly difficult to attack army camps with ease due to heightened security, they said.

As a result, the Pakistan Army was equipping terrorists with weapons which could fire long distances, facilitating easy attack and get away, they said.

Recent reports had indicated that Pakistan had supplied terrorists with shoulder-fired anti-aircraft Stinger missiles which could target low-flying helicopters used for special forces operations.

MUMBAI, Oct 4 (PTI) — A city Magistrate, who was found travelling in local trains without ticket on three occasions, has been compulsorily retired from judicial service by the Government of Maharashtra.

Metropolitan Magistrate A.A. Walawalkar was retired prematurely on the advice of the Mumbai High Court although she had eight years to reach superannuation, Additional Registrar, Special Investigation Department, Hemant Sampat said.

Besides Walawalkar, seven judicial officers (judges and magistrates) have been retired prematurely for various reasons in the past month, Sampat said.

J.W. Singh, facing a case of alleged extortion in nexus with the underworld, was also dismissed from judicial service last month.

The action against Walawalkar was taken on September 29 last after an inquiry was held by Additional Sessions Judge Hemant Deshpande. He submitted a report to the high court which advised the state government to drop the magistrate from judicial service.

The inquiry revealed that Walawalkar not only travelled ‘ticketless’ but allegedly created a ‘scene’ thrice at various railway stations. “On one occasion, she had made a big fuss at Dadar railway station saying that magistrates are not bound to carry tickets with them”, Sampat said.

The Magistrate stayed in suburban Mulund and used to travel in local trains to attend the courts. When she was found travelling ticketless, Walawalkar presided over a court at Dadar. Her recent posting was at Ballard Pier in South Mumbai, where she presided over a Metropolitan Magistrate’s court.

BHOPAL, Oct 4 — Uttamchand Jain 72, gave up the life on Monday amidst the chanting of Jain mantras by monks and devotees at Bhaddalpur near Vidisha. His last rites were performed this morning in a manner fitting to a saint. There was a great rejoicing among the devotees who had assembled there in large numbers, reports received here said.

A resident of Lalitpur in Uttar Pradesh, had approached the monks at Bhaddalpur on August 5 with the request to be allowed to perform “sallekhana” (voluntary ritual death among the followers of Jainism). He was tested under the guidance of Muni Praman Sagar and found fit for “sallekhana”. Given the new name of Ullas Sagar, he had since been undergoing various rituals at Bhaddalpur and had been subsisting only on water and buttermilk since September 1.

The followers of Jainism had started assembling there in large numbers to have ”darshan ” of the man who had volunteered death.

Just before his death yesterday, Muni Praman Sagar gave him “deeksha” and thus initiated him into the “Digambar” sect of Jainism (the followers of this sect do not wear any clothes).

Uttamchand’s wife Vidya Devi, sons Prasanna, Pramod, Pushpendra, and daughters Sunita, Kiran, Meena and Nikita were present when he breathed last. He was then made to sit in padmasana posture for the darshan of the devotees. In the same posture he was consigned to the fire this morning according to the Jain tradition. An estimated 7,000 to 8,000 persons had gathered there on the occasion.

NEW DELHI, Oct 4 — Three women were killed when a wall built around a public toilet in the Trilokpuri area of East Delhi collapsed last evening.

The wall collapsed following an explosion inside the septic tank which exploded due to the combination of increased pressure and gaseous expansion inside the tank. The public toilet and septic tank were maintained by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) against which the Delhi Police had registered a case under Sections 288, 304 and 34 of the IPC.

The victims were identified as Pushpa, Arti Mala and again Pushpa all in their 20s. They were on the way to Mangal Bazar when the incident occurred and they were trapped under the debris of the walls. The post-mortem examination of the bodies had not been done so far, the police said.

NATIONAL BRIEFS

Basu for centre on calamityCALCUTTA: West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu has urged Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to pass an ordinance to immediately set up the national centre for calamity management (NCCM). Expressing surprise over the inordinate delay, Mr Basu said despite recommendations of the 11th Finance Commission and submission of the action taken report, the calamity management body had not been set up. Mr Basu said the NCCM would benefit not only West Bengal but also other states which often face the flood menace. He also urged the Prime Minister to provide sufficient funds under the NCCM as recommended by the finance commission.
— UNI

Dawood aide shot deadMUMBAI: A gangster belonging to the Chhota Shakeel faction of the Dawood Ibrahim gang was shot dead in an encounter at the Shepherd road under the Nagpada police station in south Mumbai on Tuesday night. Acting on a tip-off the police laid trap for Zameer Salim Khan (25) and his accomplice who reportedly had gone to kill Mr Sikander Khan, a Shiv Sena party member near Sabu Siddik college. When the police asked the gangsters to surrender they instead opened fire. The police retaliated and in the ensuing encounter Zameer was injured and rushed to JJ Hospital where he was declared brought dead. However, his accomplice escaped. A Webly Scot British .32 revolver, two empty and two live cartridges were recoverd from the deceased.
— UNI

Durga Puja despite flood calamityCALCUTTA: An island in the flood of sorrow sweeping West Bengal, Calcutta is bent on celebrating the Durga Puja festival with traditional pomp and ceremony. As nearly one-fourth of the state’s population reels under a great deluge, the metropolis, unscathed by the assault of nature, is all set to drink life to the full. The devastating flood, that ravaged nine districts barely two weeks before Durga Puja, the biggest festival in the state, has claimed more than 1,000 lives so far, affected 18.3 million people and damaged property worth a whopping Rs 3089 crore. Worst-hit are Murshidabad, Birbhum, Nadia, Bardhaman and north 24 Parganas districts.
— UNI

Cong, CPM protestover oil priceJAIPUR: The Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee and the state unit of the CPM on Wednesday held separate protest rallies here against price hike of petroleum products by the central government. The Congress rally dominated by women workers and led by Pabha Thakur, women cell president, staged dharna at Bari Chaupar, the police said. Both parties demanded that the price hike should be taken back immediately, they said.
— PTI

Protest over mosque demolitionNEW DELHI: A wave of protest is sweeping northern areas of Pakistan over demolition of a mosque by the military authorities recently, reports received here said. The agitation by local people against the military regime and the local administration were in protest against the demolition of the religious place by the Pakistan government. The reports said that a newly built mosque at Deosal top in Skardu (northeren areas) was demolished by dynamite blastings on September 24 last under the supervision of the army authorities and the Chief Secretary. It is reported that demolition order was issued by chief executive Gen Pervez Musharraf, ignoring the pleas of the local people to maintain sanctity of the mosque.
— UNI

Fellowship for 4 scribesNEW DELHI: The National Foundation for India, an independent grant making organisation, has selected four journalists for its sixth national media fellowships for the year 2000-2001. The NFI media fellows are Mukul Sharma, freelancer from Delhi, Chindu Sreedharan, Assistant Editor, Rediff. Com from Mumbai, Shashidhar M. Mummigatti, transmission executive, All-India Radio freelancer from Bangalore and K. Sajaya, freelancer from Hyderabad. The awards will be presented on November 7.
— UNI

EU film festival from Oct 19CALCUTTA: A clutch of 14 award-winning contemporary movies from as many European countries capturing the life and times of modern urban existence will fete the cine buffs in Calcutta in the week-long 8th “European Union Film Festival’’ which begins here on October 19. The festival is being held every alternate year since 1986 in Delhi and in one other major Indian city. This time the honour to organise the prestigious event has come to Calcutta. Jointly presented by the 15-member European Union, the Directorate of Film Festival, New Delhi, and the West Bengal Film Centre at Nandan, the week-long festival will feature award winning movies from Portugal, France, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Finland, Denmark, Italy, Greece, Spain, the Netherlands, the UK, Austria and Sweden with most of the movies being made between 1997 and 2000.
— UNI

Bank manager held for graftNEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested a branch manager of the Punjab and Sind Bank for taking a bribe of Rs 5,000 to clear a loan of Rs two lakh. The branch manager of the bank in Sriganganagar, Rajasthan demanded money to sanction a loan of Rs two lakh for agricultural purposes.
— UNI